How can you ensure equitable access to authentic, meaningful & relevant learning environments for all learners in K-12 open and distributed learning contexts? What did you already know, what do you know now based on the course readings and activities, what do you hope to learn?
Different learning styles and abilities may be harder to recognize in an open and distributed learning context than they would be in a traditional classroom setting. With that in mind, as educators, we need to ensure that we are giving each student the attention that they need and deserve to allow for growth and learning.
Bashman et al (2018) explain that âonline learning content developers, delivery system designers, education professionals, parents and even students themselves have become more knowledgeable of the importance of addressing the diversity in todayâs digital environmentsâ (p. 492, 2018).
In my view, it will require a joint and coordinated effort from all of the parties mentioned by Bashman et al to ensure that an authentic, meaningful & relevant learning environment is delivered for all learners in open and distributed learning contexts. Where in the traditional classroom environment, the teacher alone may have been able to assess and adapt the learning environment based on their in-person observations, however, in an open and distributed learning situation, this may not be as easy to observe and meaningfully assess.
That being said, we learned from our topic 1 course readings that pedagogical decisions are crucial and will impact learning and building relationships. I believe it also impacts authentic, meaningful and relevant learning. Selwyn (2020) expresses the viewpoint from teachers and students who feel that synchronous video classes and meetings are mentally tiring in a way that in person classes are not. From my own personal experience, I find that to be true and am even feeling nervous going into my next semester with a full-time course load and only synchronous learning being offered because of the Covid-19 pandemic. I believe educators need to be flexible with their learners, especially given the current pandemic, and understand that synchronous learning may be more difficult for some.
Prior to our Digital Equity and Perspective Project, I had a basic understanding of what UDL was and the framework. I knew that it consisted of three core principles and associated guidelines that focus on promoting education systems that can âimprove and optimize teaching and learning for all peopleâ (Cast, 2020). I never considered how to apply the UDL guidelines to an online learning setting, but after exploring this course further I feel that I have a better understanding of what to consider when looking at making online learning inclusive.
Photo from Unsplash by Tim Mossholder
The article written by Basham et al (2018) highlights some of the challenges within the evolving education system, particularly with online learning. For example, they highlight that âstudents with disabilities, ELLs, or students in povertyâ (p. 492, 2018) are more likely to experience a negative impact from online learning than âstudents in traditionally marginalized categoriesâ (p. 492, 2018). I believe this is an important factor to remember and learn about the ways to ensure that these groups of people are included in all learning environments.
References
Basham, J.D., Blackorby, J., Stahl, S. & Zhang, L. (2018) Universal Design for Learning Because Students are (the) Variable. In R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 477-507). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.
CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org
Selwyn. N. (2020). Online learning: Rethinking teachersâ âdigital competenceâ in light of COVID-19. [Weblog]. Retrieved from https://lens.monash.edu/@education/2020/04/30/1380 217/online-learning-rethinking-teachers-digital-compet ence-in-light-of-covid-19
Seesaw was the app that I reviewed and one of the downsides that I came across was that they charge $7.50 per student. Although I am sure that there are funding options that you can seek out, Khan Academy Kids is free, which makes it that much easier to see how it works for your class.
TedEd Talk is also an interesting app that I can see beneficial to use in an elementary classroom. They have a wide variety of subjects, which could be useful, especially if students are doing something inquiry based.
While reviewing this app, I evaluated it using the 
My overall experience while using this app was positive. It seemed to be user-friendly and I liked being able to look at other activities posted by teachers to get inspired. I also think an app like this would work well for remote learning, as students can review the materials posted by the teachers and submit their work within the app. Another feature that caught my attention was that the app allows you to import work directly from Google Drive. If you are trying to create a portfolio and want to include something from another document outside the program this seems like a useful tool. Other benefits that I came across are that it can be used for a variety of ages, multiple subjects and student collaboration.
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